Two vie for West Goshen DJ seat

WEST GOSHEN – William Kraut, the incumbent magisterial district judge for the court centered in West Goshen, is facing a challenge to his re-election from a West Chester attorney, Chris Pielli.

Kraut, a Republican, has served on the minor judiciary bench since 2007 and is seeking a second six-year term running on his record and experience. But his opponent, Democrat Pielli, has criticized the incumbent for what he called a part-time dedication to the office.

The race will be decided by voters from West Goshen, Westtown and Thornbury. District courts are the entry level jurisdictions in the Pennsylvania judiciary, where litigants go to make small claims, pay parking or traffic tickets, and appear at preliminary hearings in minor and major criminal cases. The West Goshen court, set in the Chester County Government Service Center, is among the busiest of all such courts in the county.

Two other sitting magisterial district judges are seeking re-election but are running unopposed. They are Nancy Gill, who serves as the district judge in the Parkesburg area court, and Theodore Michaels, who serves on the bench in the Phoenixville area court.

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Kraut, 66, of Westtown has lived in Chester County since 1975, after having attended Columbia University and graduating from Belknap College in New Hampshire. He earned his law degree at Widener College in Chester. He married with two sons.

In a recent interview, Kraut explained that he was seeking re-election because of his dedication to the position.

“I have the experience of a proven record of temperament and community service, and I enjoy what I am doing,” he said. ”This is a community court, and I have shown the ability to help people along the way.

“If I can help the people who come to court in some way, they stand a chance of making something of themselves,” Kraut said.

Kraut has a long background in county legal circles, having served on the Westtown Zoning Hearing Board and Planning Commission and as a custody master in Common Pleas Court. “Although a knowledge of the law is certainly a valuable tool, equally important is common sense and being part of the community.”

Pielli, 47, of West Goshen has lived in the county since 1981, after graduating from Temple University and Temple’s School of Law. He has a solo private practice and also served as a part-time assistant public defender in the county. He is married with two children, a son and a daughter.

Pielli said that his desire to serve as magisterial judge grows from a long commitment to public service, gained in the military and as a prison correctional officer.

“I think being a jurist is one of the most important public service positions you can attain,” he said in an interview. “I want an opportunity to make a positive impact in the community, and I think I can do a better job (than Kraut.)”

Pielli said that he believes the district court could be more active in the general community, and proposed that he would, if elected, make his presence known there. He suggested, for instance, that truancy cases involving local high schools could be heard in the schools themselves, keeping students involved there and saving time for district officials.

Pointing to his military service, Pielli also said he believed the district court could begin handling Veterans Court cases, in hopes of helping those vets who are accused of minor criminal cases get back on heir feet. “I want a court that is pro-active and not reactive,” he said.

Pielli has raised the issue of the time commitment that he would invest in the position, as opposed to what he called Kraut’s regular absence from the bench. He said the incumbent has kept his own private practice open, handling cases even as a judge, and had served in Philadelphia’s Traffic Court on multiple occasions, leaving the district court without a sitting judge.

Kraut, in response, contends the district court has not suffered from any time that he has been away on other duties. The case load is current and those who file civil complaints for hearings are heard within weeks, he said. “I don’t think other courts can say that.”

Both candidates have websites with additional information. They are www.judgekraut.com and www.chrispielliforjudge.com.